1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf club wiping and cleaning devices such as manual brushes and towels, and more particularly to a golf club face wiping device which may be attached to a golf shoe in a position for easily wiping the face in preparation for hitting a golf ball.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field: Catania, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,577 describes in the driving of golf clubs, particularly on moist ground, divots and muddy earth are met by the driving head of the club and attached thereto, requiring removal repeatedly. This has meant in the past the carrying by the golfer of a wiping cloth and its use to clean the driving head of the club and which is time-taking and requires the golfer to handle a progressing dirty cloth. By means of the present invention, the golfer's shoe, either right or left, is provided with a plate, held by two or more of standard pointed shoe spikes, the plate carrying a wiping element for the club head and with a simple sweep-movement of the club its head is quickly cleaned with ease. The wiping element may be of brush form or a relatively soft upstanding element.
Bynum, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,048 describes a golf club head brush for cleaning a golf club head comprises a relatively flat, generally-rectangular, handle having opposite brush and non-brush sides bounded by shaft, head, thumb and finger edges with brush bristles mounted on the brush side directed outwardly away from the handle. The handle is constructed of a resilient material so as to be bendable. The brush and non-brush sides have the generally-rectangular shape, but include a thumb protrusion at the thumb edge with bristles thereon. The shaft edge includes an outwardly flaring shaft slot therein for receiving a shaft when the bristles are used to clean a golf club head.
Zeltner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,800 describes a cleaning device for golfers has a towel body and a brush member is secured at one corner thereof. The brush member carry perpendicular bristles for scrubbing golf implements and equipment. In the apparatus and method of this preferred invention, the brush member is mechanically fused to the fibers of the towel body, but in an alternate form, the brush member includes a mounting plate that is mechanically fused to the fibers of the towel body and a brush element is releasably secured to the mounting plate. This is accomplished by melting back web portions of the brush and compressing the molten portions and a portion of the towel body together to fuse the fibers and molten portions to one another. The brush member is contoured to fit the golfers hand and to simulate a golf green; the towel body is printed with graphic elements to simulate a golf hole. A clip may be mounted on a comer of the towel body opposite the brush member so that, when the cleaning device is clipped to an erect golf bag, the towel body hangs uniformly alongside the golf bag.
Stangarone et al., U.S. Pat. No. Des. 350,232 shows a perspective view of the combined brush and sponge for cleaning golf clubs embodying the design of the present invention.
Jansen van Rensburg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,349 describes a manually grippable cleaner which is suitable for cleaning golf clubs. The cleaner consists of a rectangular ring which has internal bristles and into which the head of a club may be inserted. A cranked handle carries the ring. Thus with the club head in the ring, relative reciprocation between the ring and the club head will cause the club head to be cleaned by the bristles. An outside set of bristles is provided for cleaning "woods." The handle is hollow and comprises a chamber for cleaning fluid. A pump pumps the fluid to a nozzle to be sprayed on to the club face.
Johnson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,117 describes a golf shoe and golf club cleaning device particularly adapted for attachment to a golf bag or other convenient surface. The device includes a brush handle having soft bristles embedded in one face thereof and stiff bronze bristles embedded in an end wall that extends out of the general longitudinal extent of the handle at an angle thereto. The handle is tethered to a golf bag by a spring loaded cable that retracts into a casing and the cable is removably attached to a golf bag. By this arrangement, the brush is securely fastened to the golf bag or other convenient surface during normal play.
The prior art teaches various golf club face wiping devices. However, the prior art does not teach that such a wiping device may be advantageously attached to the sidewall of a golf shoe in a position so that the device is perfectly oriented for wiping a golf club face without repositioning the golf shoe or lifting the shoe. The prior art also does not teach that such a device may provide a replaceable cartridge in order to prolong the use of the device and to renew its viability when it become unusable. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.